SCRIPTURE
4Each Sabbath found Paul at the synagogue, trying to convince the Jews and Greeks alike. 5And after Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul spent all his time preaching the word. He testified to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. 6But when they opposed and insulted him, Paul shook the dust from his clothes and said, “Your blood is upon your heads—I am innocent. From now on I will go preach to the Gentiles.” Acts 18:4-6
OBSERVATION
There’s a whole lot of dust shaking going on. This wasn’t the first time Paul saw the end of one assignment and moved on to the next. On their first missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas brought the Gospel of Jesus to Pisidian Antioch, but some of the Jewish leaders of that city stirred up persecution against the missionaries and had them expelled from the region. “So they shook the dust off their feet as a warning to them and went to Iconium” (Acts 13:51). Why did Paul do this? When Jesus sent his disciples out two by two He said, “And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”(Mk. 6:11). This was not pronouncing a curse as much as it was about staying on course. Its a choice between staying to fight or moving forward with a focus on those who were receptive to the Word of God. This was a demarcation point. Paul was drawing a line in the sand and saying he would devote himself to reaching the Gentiles from this point on. Jews would come to know Christ in future places like Ephesus and Rome, but Paul was choosing his battles. Yes, we throw the seed on all types of ground (hard, rocky, weeds), but we focus on the soil that is fertile and bearing fruit. He wasn’t writing the Jews off as much as he was making right the use of his time. He is described as one who “spent all his time” preaching to the Jews about the Messiah. They opposed and insulted him. Rather than being offended Paul took this as a sign to change his focus. This was a confirmation of his original call at conversion, “But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and kings, as well as to the people of Israel.” (Acts 9:15). This was not an easy choice to make. Paul was Jewish. These were his people. He had to entrust them into God’s hands even though he loved them dearly. Just imagine how many churches would never have been planted, how the Gospel would never have spread to so many nations if Paul had not chosen his battles wisely. This wasn’t about being results-oriented (e.g.” these people don’t listen so I'm outta here”) as much as it was about being obedience oriented (e.g.” God has called me to reach the Gentiles and I’ve put it off long enough).
APPLICATION
We’ve all heard the phrase, “winning the battle but losing the war”. This describes a situation where the cost of not choosing battles wisely led to ultimate defeat. For instance, I might win an argument with my wife but the cost of that win is to lose intimacy in my marriage. This is a situation where fighting about “being right” was fighting the wrong battle. It’s a hollow victory indeed when we stay longer in a conversation, situation, assignment or ministry when God has called us to move on. In this age of rage, everyone is arguing about everything and though they may be winning battles on Facebook they are losing the war of authentic relationships. We stay out of selfish pride, we argue out of arrogance, we dig in out of dedication, we fight out of fear of being seen as a failure or we lose out of misplaced loyalty. Yet, if God has called us to move on and we aren’t moving with him then we are getting in the way of what God wants to do in that place and with those people. Paul knew he wasn’t the one God was going to use to win the Jews. He had to let go and choose his battles or else he might find himself battling against the Lord Himself. Again, it’s not about being results-oriented but obedience oriented. It’s about the focus, not the fight. I get it. After pouring out blood, sweat, and tears into a place and a people, where every soul was a hard-fought victory, it’s not easy to simply let go. It feels like a loss. It feels like a retreat. It feels like we are letting the enemy win if we don’t keep fighting. I remember these feelings when God called us to Kona and we had to surrender our church plant in Seattle after 10 years of doing life together with some amazing people. Then, when I realized I wasn’t abandoning my post, but rather abandoning my ambitions, it set me free to obey God even though there was so much more that I wanted to see happen. In the movie 1917 a solider named Schofield is tasked with bringing a letter to Colonel Mackenzie on the front lines before he leads his regiment into a trap (chasing the Germans whom they think are retreating- but are safely behind a new defense line filled with guns and troops). You see, Colonel Mackenzie didn’t have this new information gained from areal recon that was now entrusted to Schofield. Mackenzie has been on the frontlines but has old information. Sometimes, we have been on the frontlines for so long, we are so hungry for the victory, that we are no longer open to new information, new input from the Holy Spirit, or new direction leading to a change of strategy. This is why Captain Smith urges Schofield to make sure there are witnesses when he speaks to Colonel Mackenzie. When the soldier doesn’t understand the importance of this advice Captain Smith says, “some men just want the fight”. Sure enough, Mackenzie was ready to move forward with his old battle plans even in light of the new information and the reality of a massive loss of life. He had been planning this for so long he was would have ignored his orders if it hadn’t been for the urging of his commanders around him. As followers of Christ we have to want the focus more then the fight, we have to choose obedience over results, we have to daily surrender our plans to the only one who sees what tomorrow holds. If we aren’t careful we become more enamored with what we are doing for the Lord than with what the Lord is currently doing. Ultimately, we must remember the battle belongs to the Lord. This isn’t about my reputation, my image, my pleasing of people, or my proof of worth through positive results.
PRAYER
I choose Jesus who chooses my battles. I freshly surrender my battle plans and take up Your bold purposes. I will dig in my heels when You call me to stand. I will bow down when You call me to surrender the ground. I will move on when Your cloud moves because the best place to be is in obedience in Your presence. Let me not be more dedicated to the cause of Christ than I am to Christ Himself.
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